Have we seen enough from the Carolina Panthers’ 2021 draft class to make a rational evaluation of the group? Heck no.
But it’s been just over a year, so it’s still time to revisit and regrade the franchise’s efforts—at least for Pro Football Focus.
Lead draft analyst Mike Renner was up to the task, as he rehashed the site’s initial grades for each team and compared them to the grades he’d give them now, after one full season. But unfortunately for the Panthers—who earned a ‘B-‘ in 2021— the crown jewel of their haul didn’t even get a full season of his own.
“This one could easily have been higher had we seen Jaycee Horn play more than 142 snaps before he broke his foot and missed the remainder of the season,” writes Renner, who keeps Carolina’s mark at that ‘B-.’ “He was tremendous over that span, allowing only one catch on five targets for eight yards (admittedly against some weak passing offenses in the Jets, Saints and Texans).”
That bittersweet rookie campaign, which also included his first career interception, saw Horn earn a 67.8 overall defensive grade from PFF and a 67.4 in coverage. Before he had the chance to build on that, the eighth overall selection broke multiple bones in his right foot in Week 3 and wouldn’t see the field again.
Carolina’s second-rounder, Terrace Marshall Jr., had trouble seeing the field as well—playing in under half of the offense’s snaps while recording just 138 yards on 17 grabs. But, as the Panthers pick up the pieces of what was a shambolic offensive unit in 2021, the LSU wideout should get himself some better looks ahead.
“Second-rounder Terrace Marshall Jr. had a bit of a disappointing rookie season, but that wasn’t unique to him in the Panthers’ receiving corps,” Renner adds. “He’s also still only 21 years old and younger than rookie first-rounders such as Jahan Dotson and Treylon Burks.”
So, yeah, there’s plenty of chapters yet to be written—for Horn, Marshall Jr., Brady Christensen and the rest of the class.
